Inner Reflection
by Quig Alchemist
Summary: [Manga only LivioRazlo. One shot.] Livio wakes up in the morning and sees himself in the mirror. Livio talks to Razlo and finally comes up with an idea...


Inner Reflection

The cracked and flaking ceiling was the first thing his eyes registered as he awoke in the early hours of the morning. The faint beams of sunlight were just beginning to stream in through the window pane. The birds outside were singing softly, welcoming the new dawn.

Livio rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and sat up slowly in bed. A deep impression was left in the mattress from his night's sleep. He slowly removed the dismal gray covers from his body, and stretched as he made his way to the bathroom down the hall.

Livio opened the shadowy brown door and scratched his head, running his fingers through his light, sand colored hair. It was now long and shaggy, completely concealing the right side of his face, trailing past his shoulder and part way down his backside.

Livio's eyes were still half closed as he stumbled into the bathroom, but the moment his eyes connected with the mirror, his eyes flashed open. His image's sinister reflection was staring back at him. Livio's blue eyes gleamed and narrowed at him within the mirror.

"Hi Livio." A cool voice unlike his own whispered. The face that reflected grinned with a hint of madness. Livio didn't smile back; this was almost normal.

"Why are you here?" Livio asked with a bored tone. Razlo laughed hoarsely, as the tattooed markings around his left eye haunted Double Fang. Every time Livio looked within the mirror, he saw the image of himself as a murderer. It was a life he could never escape.

"I'm always here Livio…" Razlo's raspy voice remarked in an airy tone. Livio turned the handle on the sink, squeaking as it released a gradual flow of water from the faucet. He gingerly dipped his hands down into the filling basin, and briskly rubbed his face with the cool water.

"I hate you." Livio glared up at his counter part in the mirror, as his nose and a few stray hairs dripped. "I hate _everything_ about you." He said again quietly, wanting to rid himself of Trip of Death.

"Then you're saying you hate yourself?" Razlo inquired, still grinning beyond the slick surface. "You hate your looks, your personality, and even the way you are." Livio smashed his fist against the glass, causing it to crack down the side.

"I can always change things." Livio murmured quietly and turned his back to the mirror. He raised his head, skin still dripping, as he began to rummage through the drawer by the sink.

"What are you doing?" Razlo mumbled, a hint of curiosity and traces of fear creeping into his voice. Livio ignored him, and continued to dig through the contents of the drawer fervently.

"There." Livio said proudly, and held out a silver pair of scissors. He turned back to the silver sheen of the mirror, and smiled; a shimmer glimmered off the scissors' surface. Razlo frowned and narrowed his eyes in malice. "I _am _going to change this…" Livio muttered under his breath, and began to snip away long strips of hair.

Livio continued to cut the pieces of his light hair, watching each strand drift gently to the floor. With every slice of the blades, Livio's smile grew wider; it showed happiness unknown to Razlo. Soon Livio had achieved an even trim, somewhat resembling his former master Knives' hair cut. He grinned at himself broadly in the mirror, admiring a job well done.

"At least I don't look like you anymore." Livio said optimistically, as he stroked his hair, feeling the empty space where his extensive mass of hair once occupied.

"You look awful."

"Better than you." Livio gazed into his reflection, focusing on the dark markings around his eye.

"It'll never come off you know." Razlo commented, reading his thoughts. "You might as well start wearing that mask again." Livio's skull mask had been the emblem marking him in his past image. It had covered the half of his face concealing the gruesome tattoo, branding him as a deadly assassin of the Gung-Ho Guns and a loyal member of the Eye of Michael. This was Razlo's image, not his.

The jagged crack in the mirror seemed to display the two separate faces: both of which had just as many scars, but only one had the look of truth in his eyes. They were the eyes longing for change and desperate to break free.

"It doesn't matter now. I'm through with letting you control me Razlo."

"What?" Razlo screeched, he face flushing angrily. "Don't you dare! You need me! I'm all you have! You are _nothing_ without me! You know who protected you all those years, and saved you from the inevitable! Don't deny it!" Livio simply smirked and walked back into his bedroom, closing the bathroom door behind him. As the door shut, Razlo's shrieks frantically echoed from within, but were stopped short by the lock with a resonating click. Razlo would never leave him completely, but Livio was finally controlling his darker and more uncontrollable side.

Livio strolled to the window, and opened it, pulling the frayed curtains apart. A burst of fresh of morning air rushed inward to greet him, circulating around the room, as Livio experienced the morning air for the first time since he had left the orphanage, alone and free.

The End

Author's Note: This is my first Livio/Razlo fic. I thought it would be interesting to put myself in Livio's shoes when he has to face his other side every morning. I also wanted to solve the mystery of why he wanted to get his hair cut! If you've read the manga, you probably know what I'm talking about…laughs Hope you enjoyed this short little story! Please Read and Review!

-Quig-


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